Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for communicating and applying adaptive security to a data stream comprising a plurality of data packets. The method comprises the steps of identifying a desired security level range and a desired actual security level which falls within the desired security level range. The availability of a number of security processor operations at the host is determined so that, if needed, computing resources at the host can be reallocated to ensure that the data stream can be verified at the desired actual security level. If there are not sufficient resources available for reallocation at the host, communication resources can be reallocated, for example by changing the bandwidth of the data stream or another incoming data stream. With this method, the actual security level will be kept within the desired security level range.

Abstract: A system and method for data communication with adaptive security in which a send host transmits a data stream to a receive host in packets which contain an authentication data block with an authentication header and a signature block. The authentication header advantageously contains various fields including a verification type, a security algorithm, a minimum security level, a target security level, and an actual security level. The receive host adaptively performs verification of the data packets using varying security levels based in part on the availability of security operations per second (SOPS) in the receive host. Where a data stream in the receive host is delayed by a security processing bottleneck, the receive host may alter the verification type, security algorithm, or the actual security level to speed up the processing of the data stream by reducing the amount of security processing performed.

Abstract: A system and method for data communication with adaptive security in which a send host transmits a data stream to a receive host in packets which contain an authentication data block with an authentication header and a signature block. The authentication header advantageously contains various fields including a verification type, a security algorithm, a minimum security level, a target security level, and an actual security level. The receive host adaptively performs verification of the data packets using varying security levels based in part on the availability of security operations per second (SOPS) in the receive host. Where a data stream in the receive host is delayed by a security processing bottleneck, the receive host may alter the verification type, security algorithm, or the actual security level to speed up the processing of the data stream by reducing the amount of security processing performed.